Dilly Days with Beth and Joellyn: Authors of The InvestiGator Club™ for Robert-Leslie Publishing

Pre-K Now, a public education and advocacy organization that advances high-quality, voluntary pre-kindergarten for all three and four year olds, provides a state-by-state report on the quality of preschool education today. To see how your state ranks according to Pre-K Now, go to Mapping Pre-K. Then come back to Dilly Days and let us know if you agree with their assessment. We’d love to hear from you!

“Inclusion, as a value, supports the right of all children, regardless of their abilities, to participate actively in natural settings within their communities.”
—”Division for Early Childhood position statement, endorsed by NAEYC

Current scientific research outlines the positive effects of including children with special needs in classrooms with their same-age peers. Here are some ideas related to “best practice” in today’s inclusive preschool classrooms:

• All children should be included no matter the type or level of their diverse abilities.
• Families are partners in the educational process and part of the team that works together to meet the needs of their children.
• The curriculum should be challenging, developmentally based, and appropriate for each child, and have proposed outcomes that reflect an understanding of each child’s growth and development.
• Early intervention is essential.
• It is important to focus on a child’s strengths, rather than focusing just on his or her weaknesses.

While few disagree with the research and the conclusions drawn by such researchers as the DEC, the challenge is just how to include children with diverse abilities in our preschool classrooms. Joellyn and I have tried to address this issue through the development of the Adaptive Learning Kit. Please feel to share any valuable advice and techniques that you have collected through the years.

Okay, preschool experts, I’d love to hear what you think. Following are two opinions that I recently heard while enjoying some time with two friends who send their children to different preschools. With whom do you agree? Send us your comments—we’d love to know!

Christine, mother of 4, “Pro”
I am a strong believer in having a graduation ceremony for preschoolers who will enter kindergarten. It’s so much fun to see those little ones with caps, gowns and diplomas. These ceremonies help children feel pride in their accomplishments and help them look forward to upcoming school years.

Anne, mother of 2, “Con”
The only occasions for which we should reward children with graduation ceremonies are high school and college, when they’ve reached a major milestone and have worked for years to accomplish something. It seems that today children are rewarded too often for non-accomplishments—tasks that should be expected. Activities like preschool graduation ceremonies mislead children into thinking that they should be rewarded for almost anything.

In general, it seems that children usually have a fun time with it and are undeniably cute. But do the children get as much out of it as the rest of the family do?

My last post listed some reasons why it is desirable to require prekindergarten teachers to have four-year college degrees. Here are some of the points of the opposition.

• Does a degree equal a quality teacher? Some researchers are not finding a causal relationship between a B.A. and classroom effectiveness.
• Degrees in early childhood education are still not readily available. It is not certain that Florida could attract enough teachers to be successful.
• Degree requirements will homogenize the prekindergarten world. Spanish-speaking teachers, ethnic diversity, and alternative philosophies, such as Montessori, may all become endangered should accreditation standards be put in place.
• Teachers with degrees command higher salaries. Existing centers and private programs may have to close because they cannot compete.

In a previous post, I introduced the Florida movement to require prekindergarten teachers to have four-year-college degrees. Today, I’ll present some of the pro arguments for this position. In my next post, I’ll share some of the arguments against the measure.

The timeline for the proposed bill would be to have at least one teacher per classroom with a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education or childhood development as of the 2013–2014 school year. If enacted, the state needs to act now in order to gear up programs and turn out enough graduates (as many as 5,000) to meet the requirements.

Pros:

• The key to implementing research-based preschool programs is a well-trained teacher workforce that has fundamental knowledge and are well-grounded in child development and pre-K pedagogy to help young children develop needed knowledge and skills. Unfortunately, the majority of pre-K teachers are not receiving enough high-quality professional development.
• Even though there is a cost involved, Florida TaxWatch believes that the state would save $7 a day on school remediation, welfare, and prison expenses for every $1 spent on early learning. (pdf, 250k)
• Nonpartisan research institutes, Florida TaxWatch and the Florida State University Center for Prevention and Early Intervention Policy, report that FL already has the capacity to attract and produce the necessary numbers of four-year degreed teachers. (pdf, 2.3mb)
• According to Roy Miller and the Children’s Campaign, legislation would cost FL nothing until 2013–2014. At that time, it is estimated to be an additional $9 per day to the current cost of $14.50 per day.
• The National Institute of Child Health and Human Development determined that children in smaller groups and taught those with higher levels of education tend to receive care that is more stimulating, warm, and supportive, making a significant difference in the children’s development. (pdf, 1.2 mb)
• Better paid teachers leads to better educational outcomes for students. Pay incentives will keep preschool teachers in the classroom. All too often lack of continuity results when low-paying salaries cause good teachers to leave pre-K positions, leaving young children with an ever-changing line of “teachers” whose role diminishes to that of babysitter rather than teacher and role model. (pdf, 380k)
• Poor and minority children will benefit most from attending high-quality pre-school programs.
• Many other states already require four-year degrees for their teachers.
• Good early childhood education helps narrow the achievement gap by improving school readiness in vocabulary, reading and math scores. Better results come from better-trained teachers who can give children (especially poor and disadvantaged youngsters) solid early literacy and math skills.
• Prior to entering Kindergarten children spend time in a wide assortment of settings resulting in a disparity in educational opportunity in K and achievement gaps later on. (pdf, 290k)

Currently there is a movement for pre-K teachers to have four-year degrees. In 2002 many Floridians voted for a “high quality” public pre-k program, expecting those preschool classes would be taught by college-educated teachers. Most of them are not.

On April 9, 2007, FL Gov. Charlie Crist showed support for a proposal to require that lead teachers in FL’s voluntary pre-kindergarten program have a four-year college degree. The basis for his view included “Education is an equal-opportunity provider. It can only be that if it is a quality education.” Six former governors and the widow of a seventh, representing Seniors4kids, called upon Crist and the Legislature to live up to the 2002 voter mandate for high-quality pre-kindergarten.

WHY?

• According to the latest annual report from the National Institute for Early Education, the quality of Florida’s pre-K program ranks among the lowest in the nation.
• Research shows that teacher’s who have a bachelor’s degree create superior learning environments, have more responsive interactions with children, and provide richer language and learning experiences.

• Florida’s current legislation frames a bachelor’s degree for pre-K teachers as a goal and not as a requirement.

Over the next few days, I will post more information about this movement and what it could mean for the future of prekindergarten education.